The Story of Little Suck a Thumb
by CacoPhoniA
Summary: Little Ludwig sucks his thumb, and Gilbert wants him to stop.  Time to break out the Bedtime Stories!


A/N: First Hetalia fanfic! The other day I was watching Family Guy and heard the "German Bedtime Story" thing. Well, I told that to stepmom, who said that was actually a real bedtime story. So, my morbid mind decided to look it up, and there is a actually a story about a kid who gets his thumbs cut off for sucking his thumbs! 0_0 It's called "The Story of Little Suck-a-Thumb."  
>Then, last night at about 11, I got the inspiration of a young Germany sucking his thumb... XD And...as most of the Hetalia fans know, Germany lived with Prussia for most of his younger years.<br>Can you catch my drift?

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Ludwig was sucking his thumb.

Again.

Gilbert stared at the serious blue eyed boy, sitting in a chair, reading. It would be a normal picture of a kid, had perhaps his thumb hadn't been firmly planted in his mouth. He watched as Ludwig turned a page, directing his eyes down at the page. Gilbert continued to stare, before sighing.

"Luddy, you're sucking your thumb again."

Ludwig looked up from the book to Gilbert, stared with his serious eyes for a moment, and then removed the thumb from his mouth. Gilbert almost let out a sigh of relief, before scowling when Ludwig relpied with a curt "So?" and then popping the thumb back into his mouth and returning to his book.

Gilbert, who wasn't one to get too incredibly angry at times, was growing more and more frustrated with the boy.

He had tried absolutely everything that he thought would get little Ludwig to stop sucking his thumb. He had tried distracting him, like Elizabeta had told him to do, told the doctor about it, even though he had felt ridiculous (and totally unawesome) when the doctor had asked if Ludwig was his child.  
>He tried his own methods, like dipping Ludwig's thumbs in vinegar while the kid was sleeping. When Ludwig started to suck his thumb the next morning, he had only looked a little miffed, then had ignored it and continued with his activity.<p>

Gilbert had almost given up, and sat in a chair, hand under his chin. His eyes wandered from Ludwig to the bookshelf, where he spotted a book of German bedtime stories. He immediately remembered the story of Little Suck-a-Thumb.  
>Gilbert grinned.<p>

Later that night, when Ludwig was laying in bed, Gilbert walked in, only slightly dissapointed when he spotted the boy sucking his thumb.

"Goodnight, Gilbert." Ludwig mumbled, closing his eyes.

"Wait a minute, Luddy. I'm gonna tell you a story tonight." He grinned and sat on the edge of the bed, holding the bedtime stories in his hand. Ludwig looked a little confused, then sat up, staring at Gilbert. His hair flopped over his eyes.

"What kind of story?"

"A bedtime story, of course!" He snickered and opened the book to the correct page, and began to read aloud:

"The Story of Little Suck-a-Thumb:

One day Mamma said "Conrad dear,  
>I must go out and leave you here.<br>But mind now, Conrad, what I say,  
>Don't suck your thumb while I'm away.<br>The great tall tailor always comes To little boys who suck their thumbs;  
>And ere they dream what he's about,<br>He takes his great sharp scissors out,  
>And cuts their thumbs clean off and then,<br>You know, they never grow again."

Mamma had scarcely turned her back,  
>The thumb was in, Alack! Alack!<p>

The door flew open, in he ran,  
>The great, long, red-legged scissor-man.<br>Oh! children, see! the tailor's come And caught out little Suck-a-Thumb.  
>Snip! Snap! Snip! the scissors go;<br>And Conrad cries out "Oh! Oh! Oh!"  
>Snip! Snap! Snip! They go so fast,<br>That both his thumbs are off at last.

Mamma comes home: there Conrad stands,  
>And looks quite sad, and shows his hands;<br>"Ah!" said Mamma, "I knew he'd come To naughty little Suck-a-Thumb."

Gilbert closed the book, grinning at Ludwig, who looked positively shocked.

"You know, I thought you just might wanna hear that story, due to your little thumb-sucking problem."

He stood, walking to the door before pausing and turning to his brother.

"And I know you're probably thinking 'It's not true' and it's probably not, so, you know...Keep sucking your thumb." He grinned as Ludwig stared at him, gaping.

"Goodnight, bro!" He grinned and shut the door.

The next morning, Ludwig was up earlier than him, as usual.

Gilbert grinned in triumph when he noticed Ludwig wasn't sucking his thumb, and he didn't do so all day.

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A/N: I'm so mean! XD

Thanks!

- - Yuki


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